Over 400 students and local representatives due to attend ‘Our Climate, Our Future’
“Every action counts when the future depends on it”
Friday 15th November 2024: Students at East Glendalough school in Wicklow are preparing to host a major youth climate conference.
The conference, which is entitled ‘Our Climate, Our Future’, is being organised by a committee of transition year students in the school with the support of Codling Wind Park and in partnership with Wicklow County Council.
Invitations have been extended to neighbouring schools, community groups, political representatives and policy makers at regional and national level.
In all over 400 people are due to attend the conference which will take place at the school on Tuesday November 26th.
Organisers say the main objective of the conference is to provide a platform for the voices of young people in Wicklow on the climate crisis and to enable and encourage all attendees to become lifelong advocates for a better and sustainable future.
The conference will include panel discussions with young people as well as presentations from key speakers including, Irish Freediving World Champion and Climate Activist Nina McGowen, Victory Luke, a Youth Sustainability Ambassador, David Lawlor from Green Ocean Coffee and Codling Wind Park Project Director Scott Sutherland. Radio and TV presenter Ruth Scott who will co-present the conference alongside three students while Councillor Paul O’Brien, Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council will give the opening address.
Ahead of the conference youth committee member Sarah Harmon said it was vital to spread the message about climate change because “every action counts when the future depends on it.”
Daniel Delahunt said he joined the committee because “I care about my future and the future of other generations to follow.”
Mia Ryan said conferences like this one were important because “we need to raise awareness and motivate young people to fix climate change before it’s too late.” Fellow committee member Tom Cox said, “I want my children to experience the same opportunities on this planet as I did.”
School Principal Craig Petrie said East Glendalough is delighted to host the 2024 Youth Climate Conference.
“Living sustainably is something which we all need to educate ourselves about, and which the current generation of students have an enormous stake in. It’s incredibly important for us as a School community that we look both at the changes we all must make – quickly – and at the opportunities we have in front of us to push on with this.”
“These opportunities are both inside school and in all of our lives beyond the classroom. We know that we mustn’t give in to denial of climate change, despair at the scale of the challenge or apathy towards the world we live in, and in that spirit, we are thrilled to welcome delegates to our School.”
Scott Sutherland, Project Director of Codling Wind Park, said it is a real pleasure to work with the students and staff of East Glendalough School to deliver the second year of ‘Our Climate, Our Future’.
“We are very aware that it is the young people who face the most uncertain future in the fight against climate change. Codling Wind Park is really proud to be in a position to provide a platform to inform, empower and amplify the voices of young people in our community. This partnership with East Glendalough School and Wicklow County Council has provided our team with more determination to deliver the Codling Wind Park project for the future of Ireland and its next generations.”
The conference will take place on Tuesday November 26th between 10 and 1pm at East Glendalough school in Wicklow. For more information go to Climate Future Ireland
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For further information
Contact Kieran Garry
GPR Communications
Mobile – 353 (0)87 2368366
Email – kierangarry@gprcomms.com
Note to Editors
About Codling Wind Park
Codling Wind Park is a proposed offshore wind farm in the Irish Sea, approximately 13-22 kilometres off the County Wicklow coast, between Greystones and Wicklow Town. Codling Wind Park is a 50:50 joint venture between EDF Renewables and Fred. Olsen Seawind. With an expected capacity of up to 1,300 megawatts (MW), it has the potential to supply over one million Irish homes with low carbon, locally produced, low-cost electricity, and to save almost 2 million tonnes of carbon emissions every year. The project announced its final design last April and submitted its planning application in early September.
